Bagavath Ramanujacharya Moolavar, Srirangam.

1
RAMANUJA
DARSHANAM
Bagavath Ramanujacharya Moolavar, Srirangam.
2
Bagavath Ramanuja Avathara
VishEshams

• !Ananthah Prathamam Roopam Lakshmanascha Tathah
  Parah Balabadram Thritheeyasthu Kalou Kaschit
  Bhavishyathi !
• Incarnation of Adisesha (Adi first, sesha
  servant), the eternal bed of supreme lord,
  Sriman Narayana, decended to the earth to
  propagate Vaishnava dharma in this kaliyugam.
• Ramanuja was born as only son for the devine
  couple, Smt. Kantimati devi and Sriman Asuri
  Kesava Somayaji at the village of Sriperumbudur,
  40 kms from Chennai, Tamilnadu, in 1017 CE
  (PingaLa naama samvatsaram, Chaitra maasam, Sukla
  Paksha, Panchami thithi and ArudhrA nakshatram).
• His uncle, Sriman Tirumalai Nambi, a great
  scholar and disciple of sri Yamunacharya named
  the child as Illaya perumaal (Ramanuja) and
  foretold that the child would become a great
  Acharya in future.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
3
Bagavath Ramanuja Childhood
pastimes

• With in 16 years of age, He Mastered all Vedas
  shastras. At the age of 17, He was married to
  Smt. Rakshambal.
• In a short course of time, his father Sriman
  Asuri Kesava Somayaji attained paramapadam.
• After this, The family moved to the near by
  town, kanchipuram (city of temples), where
  Ramanuja started leading Vedantha under the
  Saivite Guru Sri Yadhava prakasha.
• Ramanuja developed intimacy with Sri
  Kanchipoorna, a great devotee of kanchi
  Varadharaja perumaal. It is said that
  Kanchipoorna used to talk with Lord himself, for
  clarifying all his doubts.
• Very many occasions arose when the Saivite Guru
  clashed with ramanuja, when the Guru
  misinterpreted Vedantic statements. Ramanuja
  fearlessly pointed out the errors in  the Guru's
  interpretations and corrected him.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
4
Bagavath Ramanuja Clashes with
Guru

• Ramanujas arguments enraged his Saivite Guru.
  Fearing that one day, ramanuja would demolish
  Advaita philosophy, he plotted to kill ramanuja
  and hence he planned a pilgrimage to kashi,
  thinking that they can kill swami ramanuja on the
  way in the forest and clear the sin by taking a
  holy dip in ganga. At this point of time sri
  embar swami (cousin brother of ramanuja) somehow
  came to now about his masters evil plan and told
  ramanuja to go back to kanchi.
• When Ramanuja was coming in the forest at night,
  Miraculously, an aged hunter couple appeared
  and guided him. Ramanuja who was in a trance,
  opened his eyes, he found himself at the
  outskirts of Kanchipuram and the couple had
  disappeared. He realized that it was Lord
  Varadaraja and Perundevi Thayar who had come in
  the guise of hunter couple and saved him.
• He continued to stay, as if nothing had happened
  and started assisting Tirukkachi Nambi, in his
  daily service to Lord Varadaraja Perumal.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
5
Alavadars Death Ramanujas
Oaths

• News came that Alavandar was very sick and he
  desired to meet with Ramanuja and sent for him.
  Just as Tirukkachi Nambi and Alavandar arrived,
  they saw the funeral procession of Alavandar.
  During the last rites, they noticed that three
  fingers of Alavandar remained folded signifying
  three of his last unfulfilled wishes.
• As Ramanuja swore,
• ( i ) that he would write a commentary on Veda
  Vyasa's Brahma Sutra.
• ( ii ) that he would perpetuate the memory of
  Vyasa and Parasara who penned Vishnu Puranam and
• ( iii ) that he would strive to propagate
  Visishtadvaita on the lines of the 4000 holy
  collects of Alwars (naalayira divya prabandam),
• the fingers unfolded one by one automatically and
  stretched out to normal position signifying that
  these were his last wishes. Since he could not
  meet with Alavandar, before he attained
  paramapdam, he returned to Kanchi without even
  going into the temple at Srirangam .

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
6
Ramanujas doubts Varadarajas
answers

• Ramanuja wanted clarifications on six important
  things about vedantha, which never got clarified.
  Hence He even stopped going to vadadarajars
  sanndidi for service.
• Lord Varadaraja himself gave answers to
  Tirukkachi Nambi and told him to pass them to
  Ramanuja. These six words provided the guidelines
  for Ramanuja to establish Visishtadvaita
  sampradayam.
• They were-
• ( i ) That Lord Narayana is only the supreme lord
  (paramatma).
• (ii ) That the individual souls were different
  from Paramatma.
• (iii) That Prapatti (self surrender) is the means
  to attain salvation.
• (iv) That the last remembrance (antyakaala
  smarama) of the Lord, for a surrendered soul was
  not necessary.
• (v) That Moksha can be obtained only on laying
  off the mortal coils (Videha Mukti) (vi)That
  ramanuja should take refuge at the feet of Periya
  Nambi, for panchasamkaaram.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
7
Bagavath Ramanuja Meets
Periya Nambi

• As Ordered by Lord Varadaraja, Ramanuja met
  Periya Nambi at Madurantakam , where under the
  shade of Vakula tree Periya Nambi performed
  Panchasamskaram to him. As he was initiated
  into the esoteric of Dvaya Mantra at
  Madurantakam, the place came to be known as
  "Dvayam Vilaindha Tiruppathi. Both of them
  returned to Srirangam and did Kalakshepams on
  Brahma Sutra etc for sometime. It was at this
  time that Lord Ranganatha hailed ramanuja as
  "Nammudaiyavar.
• Ramanuja was not happy in married life. His
  wife never understood either his greatness nor
  appreciated his catholicity and always acted on
  her own wavelength and there was no compatibility
  as between them. Several instances are cited
  wherein the lady ensconced in her own pet ideas
  of being holy or otherwise showed scant respect
  to Bhagavatas and this greatly annoyed Ramanuja.
  When he was about 30 years of age, He sent his
  wife to Her fathers house and took Sannyasa
  with the name of 'Ramanuja Muni at the devine
  sannadi of kanchi varadaraja perumal. Lord
  Vradaraja hailed him as ' Yati Raja'- king among
  ascetics.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
8
Ramanuja Meets
Tirugoshtiyor Nambi

• The seat of Acharya at Srirangam was lying
  vacant without a successor to take over. He was
  prevailed upon to assume charge. But, before
  doing so, he wanted to equip himself with the
  secrets of the three great Mantras. For this
  purpose, he approached one " Tirukkoshtiyur
  Nambi" who made him come 17 times before actually
  instructing him. He cautioned Ramanuja that he
  should not give out the secrets to all and sundry
  and if he did so, he would go to hell.
• Immediately on receiving the instructions,
  Ramanuja climbed up to the top of the steeple of
  the temple and called everybody and told them
  about the sureway way to get mukti (Rayasya
  trayam with its inner meanings) and requested
  everybody to come and take up sreevaishnavam and
  attain liberation.
• This enraged His guru and demanded an
  explanation. Ramanuja replied that He is ready to
  go to hell for the sake of so many people who
  would be saved spiritually, by knowing the
  rahasyatrayam. The Guru was overwhelmed by this
  reply, Embracing Ramanuja and appreciating his
  broad mindedness, he called him 'Emperumanar'- "
  O! My lord" and declared that Srivaishnavism
  would henceforth be known as " Ramanuja Darsanam
  - ' the light of Ramanuja.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
9
Bagavath Ramanujas
Digvijayam

• Yadava prakasa, Ramanujas old saivite Guru had
  by then returned to Kanchi, became Ramanuja's
  disciple assuming the name of 'Govinda Yogi.
  This was the first vijayam of swami ramanuja over
  advaitha.
• Ramanuja was given biksha mixed with poison by
  some evil minded persons. When He came to know
  about it. He actually went on fasting to cleanse
  the mind of that evil-doer. This action of
  ramanuja (showing mercy to even people who
  planned to kill him) made tirukkostiyoor nambi,
  overwhelmed with joy and told that sreevaishnavam
  has got the right acharyan and hence he can
  depart to paramapadam.
• Ramanuja traveled throughout the country
  spreading the message of Visishtadvaita. Once a
  votary of the ' illusion theory' Yagna Murthi by
  name confronted him for 16 days in endless
  arguments and counter arguments. Finally, he
  accepted defeat and became a disciple of Ramanuja
  assuming the name of 'Arulala Perumal
  Emperumanar and wrote 'Gnana Saram and Prameya
  Saram'.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
10
Bagavath Ramanujas
Digvijayam

• Kuresan also known as ' Kurattalwan was a great
  desciple of ramanuja. Once, Kuresan participated
  in the shradda ceremony performed for his mother
  by the famous Tiruvarangathu Amudanar. This
  Amudanar was in charge of the Srirangam temple.
  When Amudanar inquired what Kuresan desired as
  reward for his participation, Kuresan replied
  that the administration of the temple should be
  handed over to Ramanuja. Amudanar, who had
  already known the greatness of Ramanuja was only
  too glad to hand over the key to Ramanuja.
• It is this Tiruvarangattu Amudanar who
  subsequently wrote the Ramanuja Noorrantadhi of
  108 verses which was included in the holy
  collects to make up the total of 4,000.
• After Mastering the Bodhaayana Vritti of Sage
  Vyaasa, he wrote several works like Vedanta
  Sangraham explaining the various viewpoints of
  Sankara, Yadhava, Bhaskara and others, Vedanta
  Deepam, Geetha Bashyam( an authorittive
  commentary on bagavad geetha).

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
11
Bagavath Ramanujas
Digvijayam

• During Panguni Uttram, swami Ramanuja did
  Prapatti before the Divya Dhampathi of srirangam
  and submitted his famous Gadhyatrayam
  (comprising Saranagathi Gadhyam, Sriranga Gadhyam
  and Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam ) and offered them on
  to the lotus feet of lord ranganatha.
• Later, he wrote a Grantha called Nityam
  detailing the Tiruvaradhana Kramam.
• While swami ramanuja was on his Sancharam, it is
  believed that the Lord himself appeared before
  him at Tirukkurungudi as a Srivaishnava got
  Samasrayanam from Udaiyavar.
• When he visited Saraswati Peetam, Goddess
  Saraswati was so impressed with his commentary on
  Brahma Sutra that she named it "Sri Bhashyam" and
  conferred on him the title of "Bhashyakaarar". It
  must be noted that while the other commentaries
  are known by the names of their authors like
  'Sankara Bashyam' written by Aadhi Sankara, the
  commentary of Ramanuja is always referred to with
  the venerable honorific 'Sri' denoting its
  unsurpassed quality and clarity and known as '
  Sri Bashyam'

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
12
Bagavath Ramanujas
Digvijayam

• When he visited Tirumala, a miracle happened.
  Some argued that the Lord of Tirumalai was
  Saiva param. It is surprising that such a claim
  should have arisen about the Lord who had been
  worshipped as Lord Vishnu by all the Alwars and
  Acharyas besides Elango Adigal and other Tamil
  Pulavars for several centuries. This was because
  He had earlier entrusted His insignia to a King
  called Tondamaan. The lord desired to take back
  from Tondamaan, these insignia viz., Sankhu,
  Tiruvaazhi, Soolam, Damarukam etc. They were
  placed in the Sannidhi the previous night. And
  when the doors were opened the next morning, the
  Lord gave Darshan adorning all his insignia.
  Ramanuja was hailed as " Appanukku Sangaazhi
  Alittha Perumaal" Poet Arunagiri himself sang
  clearing all doubts in this regard saying
  "Ulageenra Pachai umaiyanan, Vada Venkadathil
  Uraibhavan, Uyar Sanga Chakra kara Thalan.
• Ramanuja "was the greatest synoptic thinker
  which the world ever produced to systematize
  Visishtadvaitic philosophy, faithfully
  interpreting the ancient knowledge in tune with
  the letter and spirit of the text in the light of
  revelation and experience tested by stern
  logic.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
13
Ramanuja fulfilled Alavandars
desires

• Kuresan was very helpful in publishing Rmanujas
  works. Thus, he fulfilled his FIRST PROMISE to
  Alavandar. It is this Kuresan (aka) Sri Vatsanka
  Misra who wrote the famous Pancha Sthava
  consisting of Athi Maanusha Sthava, Sri Sthava,
  Varadaraja Sthava, Vaikunta Sthava and
  Sundarabaahu Sthava.
• Ramanuja named the two sons koorathalwan as Veda
  Vyasa and Parasara and thus fulfilled his SECOND
  PROMISE to Alavandar. It was this Parasara
  Bhattar who subsequently wrote the famous
  commentary on Vishnu Sahasra Nama as ordained by
  swami Ramanuja.
• Another disciple of Ramanuja was Pillaan
  (kurukesa). Once, when Ramanuja was alone
  mentally reciting a particular hymn of
  Tiruvoimozhi, Pillaan entered his room and
  inquired if he was meditating on a particular
  hymn. And, it was indeed the one Ramanuja was
  actually meditating on!. Ramanuja decided that
  Pillaan was the person best suited to write a
  commentary on Tiruvoimozhi. As ordered, he wrote
  the famous 'AARAAYIRAPPADI' (also known as
  Bhagavad Vishayam) and called Pillaan as
  'Tirukkurugai Piraan" after the name of
  Nammalwar. Thus, he fulfilled his THIRD PROMISE
  to Alavandar .

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
14
Ramanuja moves to
Thirunarayanapuram

• Kulothunga Chola was a staunch devotee of Siva.
  He commanded Ramanuja to come to his court to
  make him agree that siva is supreme. If the
  support was not forthcoming, the king was
  planning to kill Ramanuja. Sensing the danger,
  Kuresa went to the court disguised as Ramanuja
  along with Periya Nambi. The king ordered him to
  sign a document to the effect that 'Siva is the
  greatest'. Kuresa added that ' Sivam was no doubt
  great but Dronam was greater than Sivam'- both
  expressions referring to units of measurement.
  The enraged king ordered both of them to be
  blinded when he came to know that he was Kuresa
  who was impersonating Ramanuja. Periya Nambi was
  tortured to death while Kuresa survived. Kuresa,
  though he himself was blinded, was happy that he
  had saved Ramanuja.
• It is this Kulothunga who is reported to have
  thrown away the idol of Govindaraja in the sea.
  Ramanuja recovered it and had it installed at
  Tirupathi. Later for his bagavad apacaram,
  kolotunga chola died due to in incurable disease.
  
• While on an itinerary, Ramanuja clears the
  dilema of dharnurdasa ( a hunter, who was
  entrapped in the beauty of his wife) and named
  him' Uranga Villi Daasar'.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
15
Ramanuja moves to
Thirunarayanapuram

• Ramanuja went to Tiru narayana puram in search
  of white clay (tiruman) usedfor applying caste
  marks by Vaishnavites. The idol of the temple
  there had been taken away by the muslim invaders
  and was being used at play as a doll by the
  muslim princess in Delhi. Ramanuja went to Delhi
  and when he endearingly called ' Come on! My dear
  child 'Selva Pillaiye Vaarum', the idol
  miraculously came onto his lap. Ramanuja
  reinstalled it in the temple.
• Once some kids were playing on the road
  pretending to construct a temple, installing an
  idol of the Lord, offering fruits and flowers etc
  all the time using the dust on the road for the
  purpose. They offered some mud as prasadam to
  Ramanuja who was passing along , he received it
  with due respect. He remembered in this
  connection the words of Poigai Alwar who said
  that the Lord took whatever name and form his
  sincere devotees wished and in the instant case
  though the kids were only playing, they sincerely
  believed in what they were doing.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
16
Bagavath Ramanujas Digvijayam
spreads

• Another disciple of Ramanuja was Vaduga Nambi
  who put the sandals of his Guru along with those
  of the Lord. When questioned, he replied that the
  Acharya's sandals were for him as holy as those
  of the Lord. When Lord Ranganatha was coming on
  his rounds on the streets of Srirangam, Vaduga
  Nambi remarked that the eyes that had seen the
  charm in the eyes of Ramanuja would not be able
  to appreciate the beauty of the eyes of even the
  Lord.-'En Amudinai Kanda Kangal Matrronrinai
  Kaanaave.' Such was his devotion to his Acharya.
• Ramanuja arranged to make a lifelike idol of
  himself and embracing it invested it with his
  powers and had it installed in Tirumalai at
  Tirupati. The only temple consecrated in
  Tirumalai , other than that of Lord Venkateswara,
  is that of Ramanuja. The Archa moorthi of
  Ramanuja known as "Thaan Ugantha Tirumeni" was
  installed in Tirunarayanapuram. Once swami
  Ramanuja was giving a discourse in srirangam,
  suddenly two drops of blood flowed from his eyes.
  When disciples asked, he told that an archa
  moorthy of him was being installed at
  Sriperumbudur, hence they opened the eyes (as
  part of the consecration of the idol).

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
17
Bagavath Ramanujas Digvijayam
spreads

• Once, when he visited Tondanoor in Hoysala
  State, he happened to meet a Jain king called
  Devarayan. His daughter was possessed by a demon
  and none could get rid of her predicament. When
  Ramanuja's SriPaada Theertham ( water consecrated
  by association with his feet) was sprinkled on
  her,she was cured of the devil. The King pleaded
  to be accepted as Ramanujas Sishya. Ramanuja
  accepted and named him "Vishnu Vardhana and also
  convereted another 1000 jains to sreevaishnavam.
  They have been know now as Hebbar Iyengars.
• Ramanuja travelled to all nooks and corners of
  bharatha varsha and established 74
  simhasanadhipathis to succeed him and blessed
  them so as to continue the propagation of
  vishitaadvaitha vedantha. Swami ramanuja is the
  one instituted the 13 day "iyal Goshti in
  Srirangam.
• Swami Ramanuja lived for a long period of 120
  years and till his last breath he preached that
  prapatti and devotional service to sriman
  narayana and poorchacharyas alone is the way to
  mukti in this age of kali.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
18
Bagavath Ramanuja Attains
paramapadam

• With his head on the lap of sri Embar and his
  feet on the lap of Vaduga Nambi, swami ramanuja
  attained paramapadam in 1137 AD listening to the
  recitation of the Divya Prabandam at srirangam.
  Born in PINGALA year, he left for his heavenly
  abode also in PINGALA year that followed 120
  years from the year of his Avatara. Thus, he
  lived TWO full cycles of Tamil years after his
  birth (in the month of Magha, Sukla Paksha
  under the constellation of arudra nakshtram and
  at noon, as in the time of his birth).
• As lord ranganatha who called ramanuja as
  nammudaiyavar (our relative). It is said that,
  after swami ramnauja attained paramapadam, Lord
  Ranganatha and Periya Piraatti also bathed and
  purified themselves as relatives do, when someone
  dies in the family.
• His physical body is preserved even today in a
  sitting posture in the Sannidhi (Sanctum
  Sanctorum) dedicated to him on the southwest
  corner on the fifth round within the Srirangam
  temple as ordered by Lord Ranganatha himself (the
  same picture is given at the starting slide of
  this PPT).

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
19
Bagavath Ramanujas Works on
Vedantha

• swami Ramanuja has written 9 books. They are
  also referred to as the nine precious gems, the
  Navarathnas.
• His most famous work is known as the Sri Bhasyam
  or Brahma Sutra Bhasya.
• Gadhya Thrayam (three prose hymns). All three are
  important works in Vaishnava philosophy Vaikunta
  Gadyam describing in great detail Vaikuntha, the
  realm of sriman narayana and recommending
  meditating on it.
• Sriranga Gadyam, a prayer of surrender to the
  feet of Ranganatha.
• Saranagati Gadyam, an imagined dialogue between
  Ramanuja and Shri and Narayna where he petitions
  mother Lakshmi to recommend Narayana to give him
  grace. Narayana and Lakshmi accept his surrender.
  
• Vedartha Sangraha explains the essentials of
  vishitaadvaitha tatvam.
• Vedanta Saara (essence of Vedanta) an appendix to
  Sri Bhasya.
• Vedanta Deepa (the light of Vedanta), another
  appendix/commentary to Sri Bhasya.
• Gita Bhashya ( his commentary on the Bhagavad
  Gita)
• Nithya Grantham (About the day to day activities
  to be performed by all Sri Vaishnavas).

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
20
Bagavath Ramanujas Glories

• In his Visishtaadvaitha philosophy, swami
  Ramanuja refutes the arguments made by advaita
  acharyans and firmly establishes the lord
  srimannarayana is the supreme personal GOD and he
  resides in the mystic vaikunta lokam. He also
  proved that the supreme lord is
  chit-achit-vishishtam and the supreme lord has
  many kalyana gunas, including shadgunams.
• Beyond doubt, swami ramanuja proved that the
  supreme brahman, srimannarayana has
  sarvantharyamitvam (ability to be present
  everywhere simutaneously), saarvaboumavam (He is
  the knower and controller of this entir universe)
  and sarvaseshitvam ( everything else, including
  other devathas, sentinent souls and inntinent
  matter is under his control) and hence firmly
  established that srimannarayana is the supreme
  personality of godhead.
• Also swami ramanuja firmly established that even
  after mukti (the lberated state also), the
  jeevathmas remains subservient to the lord and
  serves him in eternity.
• swami Ramnauja propagated the sharanagti (self
  surrender) and devotional service to lord as the
  means to mukti, as ordained by the lord krishna
  himself.
• (in
  Chrama Slokam of geetha)

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
21
Bagavath Ramanujas Glories

• Ramanujacharya defeated advaitha siddhantham by
  logic and reference to vedantha vakyams and gave
  the true purport of vedantha to the world in his
  sribahsyam. kindly read the same in the following
  link.
• (SRIBHASYAM OF SWAMY
  RAMANUJACHARYA)
• Ramanujass differences with adishankaras
  advaitham, can be read in this link.
• (VISHITAADVAITHAM
  Vs ADVAITHAM)
• Swami ramanuja glorified the importance of four
  thousand divya prabandhams of alwars and gave
  them a special position in tiruvaaradhanam, equal
  to sanskrit veda.
• Ramanujas answers to mudaliyandan (one of his
  great disciple) proves beyond doubt that there is
  actually no Varna beda for getting initiated to
  Vaishnavam and very body is allowed to worship
  the lord and can attain his tiruvadi. Which can
  be read in this link.
• (RAMANUJAS ANSWERS
  TO MUDALIYANDAN)

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
22
Offering Prayers to Bagavath
Ramanuja

• Swami Desika in Sloka 10 of his Yathiraja
  Saptadhi pays obeisance to Bhagavad Ramanuja thus
  before proceeding with his eulogy.
• Pranaamam Lakshmana Munih Prathi Grihnaathu
  Maamakam, Prasaadhayathi yat Sookthih
  Svadheena Pathikaam Sruthim!
• (meaning) I beseech Sri Ramanuja whose
  Srisookthis claimed the acclaim of the Lord and
  adorned the Upanishads to kindly accept my
  Pranams.
• There is another famous Sloka which says -
• Thasmai Ramaanujaaryaaya Namah Parama Yoginae,
  Yah Sruthi Smrithi Sutraanaam Antharjvaramaso
  Samathaa!
• (meaning) I bow to that Sri Ramanuja, the great
  Yogi who became the very soul of Vedas,
  Upanishads and other Sutras.

!Bagavath Ramanujar tiruvadigaLe sharanam!
--Adiyen Bhaskara Ramanuja Dasan